Maths Training Early Level

Spatial awareness

WORDS UP TRAININGThroughout Early Maths training we refer to key messages from WORDS UP. We would encourage you to visit the Highland Literacy Blog to access further information / training.

If you have not yet accessed the Words Up training materials please do so before moving on.

These key messages support language development across the curriculum.

Before we begin... Discuss any positive impacts that any previous maths training sessions have had on your practice. If this is your first early maths training session, discuss something that you have read/learned about early maths that interested you.

● What have you noticed in your setting /classroom?

● Share something about early maths you are really pleased about.

● What is going well?

● What do you still need help with?

Maths is everywhere!1. These slides are part of a wider toolkit for staff working in Early Level

Settings and Primary 1.

2. These slides focus on ‘Spatial Awareness’’ and links should be made with the learning environments both outdoors and indoors.

3. It is suggested that staff work through the slides together. Suggested time is approximately 60 minutes. Please work through the activities in numerical order.

4. All children make sense of their world through play and interactions.

Aims for this session ● Raise awareness around spatial ability, spatial reasoning, spatial

relationships & spatial understanding.

● Consider how spatial awareness supports flexible thinking in maths.

● Improve confidence to recognise and identify activities that can support

the development of spatial awareness and the concepts involved.

● Identify an aspect of your practice you would like to develop.

Realising the Ambition:being meConsider the following quote:

‘We must consider the implications of the children in our ELC and school settings not having the same experience and quality of play as previous generations; especially outdoor and free play.’

Realising the Ambition: Being Me (p.46)

https://education.gov.scot/media/3bjpr3wa/realisingtheambition.pdf

DISCUSS: How has play changed over the last ten years - what impact could this be having on our children and their development?

What is spatial awareness? ‘Spatial awareness is the ability to be aware of oneself in space. It is an organised knowledge of objects in relation to oneself in that given space. Spatial awareness also involves understanding the relationship of these objects when there is a change of position. It can therefore be said that the awareness of spatial relationships is the ability to see and understand two or more objects in relation to each other and oneself. This is a complex cognitive skill that children need to develop at an early age. Spatial awareness comes naturally to most children but some children have difficulties with this skill and there are things that can be done to improve spatial awareness.’

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR CHILDREN

http://occupationaltherapyforchildren.over-blog.com/article-spatial-awareness-108726104.html

Play & spatial awareness The skills our children develop through play are important for future maths development.

Spatial Awareness DISCUSS:

● In what ways have you used spatial awareness today? e.g. parking, tidying

up. Write down some of the things you have used spatial awareness for.

Share your ideas with others.

● Why do you think spatial awareness matters for later mathematical

development?

Language of Spatial Awareness ● Work with a partner / small group.

● Discuss and list any language we use for spatial awareness. (2 minutes)

● Share your list with another group and discuss.

THERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

PLEASE DISCUSS YOUR OWN IDEAS FIRST.

VOCABULARY WE USEnear in front belowfar behind on topbefore left outsideafter right overbeside between insideclose above under

Discuss and reflect how you can use this language to develop spatial awareness

within the setting/classroom.

Activity We need to encourage and develop flexible thinking in maths. We need our learners to be curious and confident.

Have a go at the activity in this video.No resources required! Discuss how you got on with it - was it easy/tricky?

‘Hands on’ play with shapes/puzzles/blocks/loose parts (large & small) encourages children to rotate, flip and explore all the possibilities.

Observe the learning Observe the child as she completesthe activity in the video: ● listening● observing● thinking● moving her hands to imagine what she will do to

the shape● visualising what it will look like

Children are often engrossed in their play and are involved in complex & creative thinking as they consider their next movement or action.

Spatial Awareness

‘Spatial awareness develops naturally when children have the ability to freely explore their environment.’

Occupational Therapy for Children, (online).

http://occupationaltherapyforchildren.over-blog.com/article-spatial-awareness-108726104.html

Consider your environment both, outdoors & indoors. What opportunities do you already have to support the development of spatial awareness? Discuss

PLAY, PLAY and more PLAY!PLAY MATTERS! Focus on spatial awareness - what do you notice in these images? What skills are the children developing?

WORDS UPConsider the key messages from WORDS UP. Discuss how we can use them to support the development of spatial awareness in outdoor and indoor play.

Play & Talk Together Face to Face

Copy & Add Words Be Careful with Questions

Pause & Wait Quiet time to Talk

Spatial awareness & Movement READ & DISCUSS:

‘The development of movement and coordination for a child is linked to communication and cognitive development. For instance, a child with a developing vestibular system will find it almost impossible to sit still for any length of time or possess the fine motor skills and coordination required for writing before they are ready.’

Realising the Ambition: Being Me (p24)

https://education.gov.scot/media/3bjpr3wa/realisingtheambition.pdf

TASK: Gross and fine motor skills Visit the Highland Literacy Blog for detailed information regarding:

● Gross Motor Skills● Coordination● Movement● Fine Motor Skills● Scissor Skills● Messy Play● Pre-writing

This activity will take some time. Agree when you will do this and use the information to support planning for developmentally appropriate play experiences from ELC through to P1 and beyond.

Spatial AwarenessThrough play, children have the opportunity to develop their own body awareness and spatial awareness. As they move around, very young children learn about directions, how to move their bodies and navigate spaces. They are also aware that things in the distance look so much smaller. It is important that we provide play opportunities that develop body and spatial awareness through ELC, Primary 1 and beyond.

Spatial Awareness

Things in the distance appear to be small.

Spatial Awareness & shapesWe need to be aware that things can look different depending upon the viewpoint.

Imagine that you are looking at an object from the front and then from the side - the image is very different.

Spatial Awareness & shapesMaking shapes… have a go at this activity. You don’t need sticks - you could use pens/pencils, as long as they are of similar length.

Is this an activity you could involve your children in when they are playing outdoors? Can you copy a shape they have made?

What shape can you make with

3 sticks?

What shape can you make with

4 sticks?

What shape can you make with

5 sticks?

What shape can you make with

6 sticks?

Spatial Awareness & shapes

Spatial Awareness & PAtternsRegular and irregular patterns appear all around us. Children enjoy noticing, making and copying patterns.

Spatial Awareness & PAtternsDescribe the patterns you see. Discuss how patterns can link to counting.

Spatial Awareness & the early number lineSpatial awareness supports children to develop their sense of an emerging numberline e.g. where they are in relation to something/someone else.

Playing games and moving along a track can help them to develop an understanding of the relationships between numbers e.g. how far away they are from the end or how near they are to their friend.

Children can create tracks using carpet tiles, drawing a large track outdoors or using paper.

Spatial Awareness & early number As children explore their natural environment they may notice smaller groups of items within a larger group.

Have a look at these images - what do you notice?

Spatial Awareness & early number

Through play and games children can explore, engage and create more regular groupings/patterns too e.g. dice/dominoes/loose parts etc.

Spatial AwarenessThink about patterns and where they appear in play, or in the the natural environment.

Spatial AwarenessWith a partner, talk about what you can see in this image. Try and include a mix of spatial & quantitative language. As you talk, notice whether you use gestures too?

Examples of spatial language: before, after, near, far, beside, close

Examples of quantitative: more, less, fewer, a lot, some

Spatial Awareness

Watch the video. Consider how theinteractions between the adult and childare supporting understanding of spatial language and quantitative languagewe use in play.

Think about the words up messages. How is gesture used?

Stories & Role play Stories and rhymes are a fantastic way to engage our children as they learn new concepts. Enjoying stories together can help support the understanding of the language around spatial awareness.

‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ by Michael Rosen is a popular story about a journey. Watch the video. Note how he uses actions.

Rhymes, stories and songs Children enjoy moving to music and joining in with familiar rhymes, stories and songs can support development of spatial awareness.

Movement songs such as ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ or the ‘Hokey, Cokey’ are fun.

If anyone doesn’t know the Hokey Cokey they can watch here.

FINGER PATTERNS Developing fine motor skills happens naturally as children engage in a variety of interesting and tactile play provocations.

We can model finger patterns as we enjoy songs and rhymes together. Spatial awareness develops as children look at finger patterns and join in for themselves. It takes time for children to observe patterns and sequences and then create them for themselves.

Scottish Book Trust has a great library of rhymesand songs. https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/songs-and-rhymes

Stories & Role play

Watch the video of the story

‘Rosie’s Walk’ and consider

the different spatial concepts

that are being explored.

Stories & Role play The children in this video are being encouraged to complete a short obstacle course and talk about what they are doing e.g.

Under the table …

Discuss: Do children in your setting/environment have free access to resources, so they can createtheir own obstacle course?

“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” Maria Montessori

Positional Language Where is the bear?

in front behind

leftright

betweeninside

outsideabovebelowbesideon topunder

WORDS UPThink about your setting/class - how could these statements/questions be used to support children’s thinking around spatial awareness.

I might put the block here on my tower ….

I think we could fit everyone on the mat...

I think these gloves might fit me ...

What would happen if we...

REMEMBER TO PAUSE AND

WAIT

spatial awareness can developed by playing...

Hide & Seek Threading Beads

Block Play Loose PartsObstacle Courses &

Games

Small World Play

Car Mats&

Train tracks

Shape Play Jigsaw Puzzles

&Pattern Blocks

Action Songs

Finger Patterns

TASK: Spatial Awareness observation With a colleague, observe some children at play e.g. at the construction/role play area, in your setting. Notice and discuss any of the following. What could you do to support this area of development?

Quantitative Language

Spatial Language Gestures to represent

size/measure

Finger Patterns to represent

quantities

Spatial Awareness

Skills

E.g. morelessfewer a lot some

E.g. nearfar before afterbeside close

E.g. indicate the size of the block they need, or to measure spaces.

E.g. acting out a rhyme or using finger patterns to show how many they need.

E.g. moving items around so they fit into place or selecting a different shaped object.

Reflective questions ● Select an area/activity in your setting e.g. outdoor play, loose parts, tidying up,

small world play, setting the table.

● How could you support the development and understanding of spatial awareness for the children in your setting?

● Agree a time to explore the information regarding movement etc. on the Highland Literacy Blog. Use this information to support planning using a developmental approach.

● As a team, decide when and how you will do your ‘Spatial Awareness’ observations of the children. Use the observation to help you plan for next steps.

Further information/reading

● Realising the Ambition: Being Me https://education.gov.scot/media/3bjpr3wa/realisingtheambition.pdf● KQED, ‘Why spatial reasoning is crucial for early math education’

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/47269/why-spatial-reasoning-is-crucial-for-early-math-education● Youcubed ‘Seeing as Understanding: The importance of Visual Mathematics for our Brain and Learning’

https://www.youcubed.org/wp-content/uploads/2017SEEING AS UNDERSTANDING: The Importance of Visual Mathematics for our Brain and Learning./03/Visual-Math-Paper-vF.pdf

● DREME ‘The why and what of spatial relations’ https://dreme.stanford.edu/news/why-and-what-spatial-relations

● Bumps to Bairns https://bumps2bairns.com/● Highland Literacy https://highlandliteracy.com/emerging-literacy/pre-handwriting/●

THANK YOUThis training has been produced and put together using a wide variety of resources and information but also draws on work by:

● James McTaggart - Early Years Educational Psychologist ● Steph Bennett - Educational Psychologist● Jen Pickering - Occupational Therapist● Sharon Smith - Speech and Language Therapist● Rebecca Castelo - Speech and Language Therapist● Jennie Drummond - Early Years Education Support Officer● Ruth MacLean - Early Years Education Support Officer● Sara-Jane MacAskill - Depute Head, Knockbreck Primary School, Tain● The Numeracy Development Team: Seonaid Cooke, Kathryn Thomas, Julie Brewer, Sarah Leakey, Kirsten

Mackay